To Ask or Not To Ask
by Integrity FTW
Summary: Never have I struggled to make a choice this much, not once. OwenxAngela/Akari Rated T to be safe. Fluffy Oneshot.


_To Ask, or Not To Ask_

It was early. The sun was starting to rise and shine through my window. Gentle rays were landing on the folds of my blanket. On a normal day I probably would have appreciated the warmth, but today was not a normal day so it was irritating. If the sun had only stayed below the horizon I could have gotten away with staying in bed all day and not having to make this decision or deal with Ramsey. But that's not how the world works, so now I have to get out of bed and think about what I am going to do.

I kicked my blanket onto the floor and threw my legs over the side exposing my sleeping wear, sweat pants and an old t shirt. If I asked anyone about my dilemma I knew they would tell me I was thinking about it the wrong way. This shouldn't be a problem. It should be a choice that will mark the start of the rest of my life, a happy one if it goes well. There were so many things that could go wrong though!

I sighed. Never have I struggled to make a choice this much, not once. A small creak and the twist of a doorknob told me someone had opened the door to my room.

"Owen, are you okay?" Chloe asked. She was standing by the door to my room, still holding the doorknob. Of course, Chloe knew I was usually up by this time and had to see what was up. Curios Chloe, that was just who she was.

I contemplated what I should say. If I can help it, I don't like to lie or keep stuff from my little cousin, but this was something that she didn't need to worry about. "Yeah, I'm okay," I paused for a moment seeing that Chloe was skeptical, "But I need a hug."

Her young face lit up as she dashed over to me. I opened my arms. She smelled like flour and eggs. "I was helping Grandpa cook breakfast!" She explained, her arms still snuggly hugging my torso.

I might have to move, depending on my choice. I wouldn't be able to see Chloe every morning and have her bright face to check on me when something was wrong. The thought tugged at my heart. Mentally I shook myself. I would still work here with Ramsey so I would still see Chloe nonetheless.

"Well I think that's all the hug I need, so let me get dressed and go eat some of that breakfast." Chloe grinned and nodded. Her orange hair bounced as she practically skipped out of my room, forgetting to close the door.

The hug had helped...a little. Some food would definitely help me decide whether I should go find a blue feather.

-

The cold air of winter nipped at my cheek when I left the blacksmiths. Snow was covering the ground in a thin fluffy layer. Bright sun rays were breaking through the clouds. When I got out of the mines there probably wasn't going to be much snow left. I bit my lip and I walked towards the mine, thinking.

What if Angela didn't want to get married in winter? She had told me her favorite season was summer.

What if she wanted a big fancy wedding? Don't girls dream of their weddings even when their little? Could I even pay for it?

What if…My brain could think of a dozen more questions that made me feel less and less like proposing. In the end it all came down to one question.

What if she said no?

I quickened my pace. Going to mine always helped me clear my mind. The nostalgic sent of dirt with the sharp spice of metal minerals and herb roots acting as the glue holding it all together….

-

Why wasn't it working?! My hammer was starting to feel heavy in my hands. Sweat made me take my jacket off. My mining pack was starting to get heavy and full with my findings. I was deep in the mines and I felt even more unsure of myself now.

I didn't even know where to get a blue feather or who I should even ask. Would Angela even want to marry me? She only said she was delighted when we talked under Alan's tree…which was only two weeks ago. What if she thinks I'm moving too fast and she isn't ready?

A wave if realization hit me like a wall of bricks. Angela always visited me in the mines, around lunch. I pushed the light button on my wristwatch. It was almost closing time!

-

Hastily, my feet carried me to the blacksmith. Maybe I could head over to Angela's house if Ramsey was satisfied with what I got from the mines. I yanked the door open.

"Hey Owen." Angela's voice reached my ears. She was standing next to the counter of which Ramsey was standing behind. He looked…happy?

Something was different. Seeing Ramsey so giddy after a day's work made me uneasy. Why was Angela even here at this hour? Usually she would be heading over to the Bar for her part time job. Why hadn't she come to see me in the mine like usually?

Angela must have noticed my confused expression. I felt her hand slip into mine and give it a tug. "I need to talk to you about something." She said as she looked up at me. Her light brown eyes were bright; she looked almost like a kid on Christmas.

I made myself tear my eyes from hers and glance at Ramsey. He was busy cleaning up and showed no sign that he'd even heard Angela.

"Okay Angie, I'm all ears."

-

"Don't you think the ocean is pretty?" Angela asked as she continued to hold my hand. She had refused to answer any of my questions as she led me to the large tree by city hall. The sun was starting to set giving the sky and orange glow and making the ocean glisten.

"Yeah." I replied. It wasn't the prettiest thing around me though. Angela let her hand slip from mine. Had I done something wrong?

"So um, Owen…what I wanted to talk to you about was…" The strong confident Angela I'd known for about a year suddenly seemed nervous and unsure. What could she need to talk to me about? My mind instantly jumped to the worst conclusion. I felt my stomach get a sick feeling as Angela searched through her backpack.

Angela wouldn't want to break up with me. No way...

Finally the farmer held something in her hands, but her fingers were curled so tightly around it I couldn't see it. You don't give the person you want to break up with something. I relaxed, sort of.

"Here." Angela's voice was quiet and she opened her hands, exposing a blue feather.

My breath caught in my throat. Blood rushed to my cheeks. I felt my dirt covered hands get moist with sweat. Finally I found my voice.

"…Man, isn't it usually the guys job to do the proposing thing?" I tried to tease, but I found my voice just sounded hoarse. Something flashed in Angela's eyes. Was it annoyance or, fear? Her lips were set in a firm line and her cheeks were flaming.

I cleared my throat, "I was planning on giving you ones of those, Angela…" I let my sentence trail off as I watched her reaction. I couldn't tell if she was trying to keep herself from bursting into tears or laughing.

In Angela's now tearful eyes I found the reassurance to continue," But, uh, are you sure, that you want to marry…me?"

All my worries from today seemed to melt away when I saw a single happy tear slide down Angela's cheek and she hastily nodded to hide it. I felt a rush of exhilaration spread throughout my body bringing an even darker blush on to my face.

While scuffing the ground with my shoe I scratched the back of my neck when I felt the intense heat in my cheeks. I knew what I had to do.

The blue feather was slightly frayed due to Angela's past nervous grasp on it. I took it from her small gloved hands. It was soft and delicate. Having the small feather in my hands made everything feel official. Angela stared at me. She was trying to hide the tears any more. They slide down her cheeks and seemed to contradict the pure joy in her face.

"Thanks Angie, really. I'm so happy I could dance. My heart is racing." The words seemed to spill from my mouth before I could stop them. The surprised look on Angela's face was enough to tell me I ruined the romantic moment. Apparently I got the wrong message. Laughter erupted from Angela as she threw her arms around me.

Gladly I wrapped my arms around her small frame and I couldn't help but laugh, too.

Eventually we stopped laughing. Angela started to pull out of our hug, but she stopped part way. Her eyes met mine and I felt as if I was making the easiest decision in the world. I pulled her a little closer and her lips met mine.

Goddess, I was stupid to be so worried.

-

**Author's Note: This is was so fun to write. I never knew how much fun it was to write such fluffy stuff! I absolutely adore Owen and there aren't enough OwenxAngela/Akari fics on here so I had to write something. I decided to try something different and write in Owen's point of view just because it seems that most people seem him as that really buff hot guy when he is actually more in tune with his emotions than he gives himself credit for. I'm kind of worried that I may have made Owen too sissy-ish or even feminine because of how much anxiety he had. Heh X.X**


End file.
